If you're going through a custody dispute in DFW, here are the laws and practical realities.
Texas Family Code basics:
Conservatorship (not "custody"): Texas uses the term "conservatorship" instead of custody.
- Joint Managing Conservatorship (JMC): Both parents share decision-making. This is the DEFAULT in Texas (Family Code 153.131). It does NOT mean 50/50 time.
- Sole Managing Conservatorship: One parent has primary decision-making authority. Only ordered when JMC isn't in the child's best interest.
- Possessing Conservatorship: The non-custodial parent's rights.
Standard Possession Order (SPO) — Family Code 153.312: The default visitation schedule in Texas:
- 1st, 3rd, and 5th weekends (Friday 6 PM - Sunday 6 PM)
- Thursday evenings (6-8 PM)
- Alternating holidays
- 30 days in summer
Child support (Family Code Chapter 154):
- Calculated as a percentage of the obligor's net resources:
- 1 child: 20%
- 2 children: 25%
- 3 children: 30%
- Net resources capped at $9,200/month (2024 guideline). Support on income above the cap is discretionary.
- Use the Texas AG child support calculator: texasattorneygeneral.gov
Modification:
- Custody/support orders can be modified if there's a "material and substantial change in circumstances" (Family Code 156.101)
- Must wait 1 year from the last order, unless the child's welfare is at risk
DFW-specific:
- Dallas County Family Courts: George Allen Sr. Courts Building
- Tarrant County Family Courts: Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center
- Collin County: Collin County Courthouse, McKinney
Sources:
- Texas Family Code Chapters 153-156
- Texas AG — child support calculator
- Dallas County Family Court Clerk
- TexasLawHelp.org — family law self-help
Document everything. Communications, schedules, expenses. The parent with better documentation wins.
Joint Managing Conservatorship does NOT mean equal time. This confuses everyone. It means shared decision-making. The child still has a "primary residence."